Looks like Chicago needs to get its #1 community organizer back home to clean up the hood. Obviously Rahm Emanuel is as poor a mayor as he was a chief of staff.

They already had the signs made up yesterday, no reason to let them go to waste. They thought their boy Rahm was just going to rubber stamp anything they wanted, after all, they bought him his office. Time to fire them all and start over.

NEOATG,

Um, would these be the same "going above and beyond for these kids" teachers that continue turning out the semi-literates who apply for jobs with multiple spelling and grammatical errors in their resumes, that show up with an attitude of entitlement, who for most of them haven't had a full day's hard work in their lives? Would these be the same teachers that are graduating 'students' who end sentences with 'at' and who spit on the sidewalk in front of my offices before coming in for an intervierw? What does bad policy or bad administration have to do with the fact that teachers can't teach children to read, write or speak properly?!

neoatg:

If you are able to read or turn on a TV occasionally, you will find that the entire state of Illinois is a financial disaster.....the worst state in the country. The money is nonexistent, and the debt is so deep that they can't borrow any more. So, let's hear your ideas as to where the money should come from for these teachers raises.

So you think teacher can just wave a magic wand and make sure all 30 or so of there kids learn?

Sow how is you saying they need to be paid more going to help the kids to learn? Will more money make the teachers try harder? They should be giving 100% to teaching as it is. IF they are not, they need to be fired. If the money isn't there, your magic wand ain't gonna make it magically appear. Low paying job sucks, I know, but it's better than no job. But now we're going to have hundreds of thousands of kids free to roam around in one of the worst cities for violence in the country. Sounds great until they start dying.

would you like to address everything in my post or just ignore it and pretend you "gotcha" me

Teacher "Johnny, your word is BEFORE"

Johnny "BEFORE...B-E-F-O-R-E, BEFORE"

Teacher "Very good Johnny, now use it in a sentence"

Johnny " Two and two before"

Give that boy a diploma........and a hair net.

The signs read at bottom 'On strike for better schools'.

But the article states.."At issue are teacher pay and school reforms, including tougher teacher evaluations"

Its all about $$$$..not the students.

This is NOT Obama's problem. It is NOT a national problem.

I am a teacher. I love my job and my students and see everyone at my school working hard for the students. @Geowil addresses the root of the problem. Teacher's are there to teach the students their subject(s). If the parents are not supportive, dedicated and involved in their child's education; there is little the teacher can do to combat the lack of support at home. The Parental Responsibility Act addresses the need for care for the children, but often it goes by the wayside assuming 'the teacher' will fix it. (and when the teacher doesn't, we also catch hell for it; double-edged sword from the community, eh?)

Unfortunately, American's have asked more and more of teachers and school systems in the past 50 - 100 years. Feed them, clothe them, provide morals, ethics and character as well as good, positive and healthy role models. Why? because these things are lacking at home. I can't imagine another human standing in a classroom just collecting a paycheck; only doing a minimal job. It takes a special person to work with children, especially that many.

Honestly, there is no amount of money that would allow me more time during my day to be more prepared for my students. The demands on a teacher's time are huge. The number of meetings I have to attend during planning, scheduled days off for professional development and before and after-school IEP/504 evaluations cuts into the time necessary to plan. I need more time; a bigger paycheck would also help but wouldn't give me more time.

If Obama, Rahm, Axelroid, and the likes of others are indicative of what comes out of Illinois...

Their education system has Failed! - "you gotta let them go when they don't do their job."

The average American household has seen their income drop by nearly 8% over the past 3 years, what makes the teachers that produce below average students think they deserve any better?

At least the average American workers can say that their work is producing record earnings and profits.

Pftt, the political parties again.

Republicans suck just as much as Democrats. Everybody who votes for one party can know they vote no better than a person that only votes for their 'enemy' party.

Neoatg--first, I don't know ANY teachers any more who 'burn the midnite oil grading papers. The few who DO make assignments take class time for the KIDS to grade each other's papers. So that is myth one debunked.

Myth 2 is that teachers have to only teach the test because that is what they are told. Nope--if they successfully taught the CURRICULUM they wouldn't NEED to teach the test because they kids would KNOW the material. Nope, it is EASIER to teach the test.

DO the problems belong also on the parents who don't INSIST that their children study? Yep. Absolutely. DO the problems also belong to the admin. who won't punish the ones who behave badly? Yep.

But the face it, there IS no more money, and as long as there is no money, WHERE do you think the school district is supposed to come up with it? Teachers many not make a fortune, but they DO work a job that allows them to keep the same hours as their kids, and that gives them LOTS of time off.

And for the most part, IF they are good, it allows them a GUARANTEED job. Ir they are NOT good, it should not.

MONEY does not make a teacher good.

Lack of money doesn not make a teacher BAd.

But ANY teacher who does not realize that the district cannot pay them more because they DON'T HAVE THE MONEY should never have made it out of HS, because evidently they FLUNKED basic math.

REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE UNION AS LONG AS AMERICANS ARE DYING FOR YOUR FREEDOM,

YOU MUST BE ONE SORRY PIECE OF CRAP to have the FKN audacity to go on strike while Americans are fighting and dying in combat. Maybe if you knew that six (6) out of every Ten (10) American Military Families are on WELFARE, you would get off your Communist High Horses, after all a Union is nothing more than the definition of COMMUNISM, and do something about A REAL PROBLEM. Union Greed is the Main Reason We Have No Jobs today. If you can't get promoted on your own Merit Like our Military than your not getting hired by me. ON MORE UNIONS. A Union is only as good as it's sorriest member so remember when you HIRE a Union to do a job you have a Plant full of the sorriest the Union has to Offer. Right to Work Laws are there to protect you and you don't have to pay dues. Screw the Union and their Contract, Let the Bastards starve in the street, Hire Real American Teachers, ones with balls enough to stand on their own and don't need intimidation to do their jobs.

REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE UNION AS LONG AS AMERICANS ARE DYING FOR YOUR FREEDOM, freedom that Union Members DON'T DESERVE!!! Want to act like a Communist move to China and see how long you sorry Union Ass last there.

Signs have now been replaced:

• "Strike for the children"

with

• "On strike for better schools"

Wait a minute.....more pay, more benefits, better job security, and less class sizes are in the negotiations.

So, how does that make for BETTER SCHOOLS ?

"Salary figures provided by the Chicago Public Schools show teachers here have the highest average salary of any city in the nation."

Teachers in New York City earn an average of $73,751. That would be less than the average $76,000 average salary for Chicago teachers cited by CPS, but more than the $71,000 average cited by the union. Depending on which is accurate, Chicago would either be first or second in the nation in average teacher salary. However, Los Angeles teachers make $67,600. The number drops to about $54,000 in Dallas, and just over $52,000 in Miami.

Just a few things, and a few observations.

First off, the success of a child in school comes as a result of a 3 way partnership - the student, the parents, and the teachers. It is the responsibility of the student to learn, the teacher to teach (not babysit), and the parents to guide the student into studying, applying themselves, and by god yes to instill the necessary discipline into those kids to learn. Now say what you will, but low income does not excuse a parent from being a parent, and not some handout, drunk, druggie, illiterate, ghetto yacking waste of flesh. I grew up in a predominately black and extremely low income neighborhood. I had it no better or no worse off than anyone. What made me successful in school was self determination, motivation, and discipline.

2ndly - when the mayor FORCES longer school hours, that means MORE WORK for the same pay, which to those illiterate people on here is essentially a pay cut. Don't forget it takes a Bachelor's degree or more to teach, not to mention licensing and continuing education and training. These things cost money. They don't come free, and the school system, the city or the state DOES NOT pay or reimburse for these teaching requirements. And let's not forget those teachers ALSO have homes, families, and bills to pay as well. You folks seem to forget or think that Teachers are people too.

3rdly, the cirriculum those teachers are mandated to teach from is NOT controlled by the teacher, but by the school board, the Department of Education, and any other "requirement" that is mandated outside the teacher's control. The kids that are falling behind are a reflection of 1 or more of the following - stemming from the cirriculum, lack of student effort, lack of parental involvement, or overcrowding (meaning more students than the teacher can effectively teach.)

4th, the mindset that school is a free public daycare is disgusting. The function of ANY school is EDUCATION, not babysitting. That is what DAYCARES are for, what BABYSITTERS are for, what the PARENTS are supposed to be doing. How can you have teachers that you expect to teach and educate, when they are looked at an alternative "parental" institution. Teachers NEED the support of the community, the parents, and the kids, instead of being on the short end of the blame game everytime you turn around.

And lastly, poverty (80% of students on free or reduced lunch) IS NOT an excuse for a lack of intellegence. When I was a kid, we were dirt poor. I went to the same schools, had the same teachers, studied the same subjects, lived in the same rat hole ghetto neighborhood as my fellow classmates. The difference was when they were on the street corners smokin dope, drinkin 40s and slack jawwing, I studied. When they were busy stealing, breaking into cars, and spraying graffitti, I was in the library READING. When they were feeling sorry for themselves, I got a job. My motivation was simple - I DID NOT WANT TO END UP LIKE THEM.

I think in all honesty the mayor - having been a presidental chief of staff - has the proverbial chip on his shoulder, thinking he is THE MAN, and having the attitude to match. HE is not the KING OF CHICAGO, and his constituents are the same people whose kids are now being left behind.

Is there a solution to the economic issues of not giving the teachers a raise? I don't know. But I do know that a MAN in a POSITION OF AUTHORITY, who has the responsibility of serving the people who voted for him, SHOULD be the first in line to take a pay cut, work a car wash, do whatever it takes, to make life better for the people he leads. But you can't expect leadership from a corrupt politician...

Great post!!!!!! Teachers union has been using this line for years. Bad thing is the public always seems to fall for the bullsh@t line. It is about time to rein in the outlandish benefits and pensions given to them by the Democrats over the years in every state to get the union support in elections. If teachers don't like then find another profession!!

Best way to educate our kids is for the states to allow parents to send kids to private schools and pay the schools the average cost of public schools. Cost would be lower despite the private school making a profit. Students would get a better education from quality teachers not the union protected teachers at public schools who could care less. Why should the public teachers care about student education when it takes an act of God to fire even the worst of the group?

They wanted a bigger raise than what was offered, last I heard they were offering a 16% raise over the next 4 years and that is still not high enough for the union. that would have put them at like an 87,000 average. Who else gets paid that much to put out products that do not work and are not up to par?

Didn't this 'genius' in the Oval Office hire some dude from Chicago to head the Federal Education Department ?

And wasn't the reason for that astute decision because he had 'straightened out' the issues in the Chicago school System"

Seems that like everything else this bumbler put his hand to is a failure?

Time to evict this fraud and his thugs from OUR White House!

Will the Watcher....

Search for "Chicago - Man on Five" and that will provide you with details on Mr. Emanuel's TOP DOWN agenda. He doesn't need the city council nor any other city agency.

Wait a minute, that is why Mr. Obama took Mr. Bixelrod, Mr. Emanuel, and Valerie Jarrett to D.C. with him. Mr. Obama has shown time and again that he doesn't need nor want a LEGISLATIVE BRANCH of government since he can get his Progressive agenda through via Executive Orders and Progressive Cabinet Members changes to rules and regulations (i.e., DOE, DHS, DSHS, DOJ, IRS). Then, there are his CZARS to further muddle everything.

Look for Obama to continue this "Chicago - Man on Five" thug tactic in order to bypass Congressional procedures extensively IF he is elected to a 2nd term.

I'd have to side with the teachers. I don't think it's fair to tie raises/promotions to standardized testing. I realize the mayor is trying to find a reliable measure of good teaching, but that's why you have administrators and parents. Bad teachers are apparent. Most teachers are going to be "competent." You shouldn't have to be a superstar to get at least a cost of living raise. Merit raises and promotions should derive from a set of criteria, not just one thing--a test.

You cannot ask teachers to put in extra class hours without compensating them. Teachers not only teach, they develop class plans, and grade papers--these things take hours outside of class teaching.

If Chgo lacks money, I'd blame somebody. Property taxes are among the highest in the country. Of course, in a recession with mass foreclosures and unemployment, cities aren't going to get a lot of revenue. To penalize workers is tiresome.

Why is nbc omitting the fact that the latest demand by the union is for a 25% raise over 2 years with 19% in the first.

Gee most people would be happy if they even got the 2% every year for 4 years that the union was offered.

Wow, a striking example of how democrats and Unions are so helpful to our society.

Crushing debt due to pension payments. Kids not getting an education. Kids in danger because they can't go to school because the Union is striking. Huge success story. Lets model the whole nation after them by giving 4 more to 44.

They should fire every single one that goes on strike. Teacher unions and tenure do not serve the needs of the students, taxpayers or our future. If they underperform or cheat the students out of a good education they should be fired regardless of time on the job or seniority status - PERIOD.

Everyone needs to wake up and realize that these people are in charge of teaching our next generation of scientists, mathematicians, engineers and entrepreneurs. Without the proper inspiration and guidance the next generation will be taught that everyone in society cheats and steals to get ahead, plagiarizes other peoples work, and that it is ok for them to have a poor "entitled" work ethic.

These are not burgers the teachers are flipping on a grill; they are the minds of our future. When some fall to the floor because of blatant carelessness you can’t just throw them in the trash and hope that no one notices but in all reality that is exactly what is happening. If you move a rotten apple out of one basket into another it’s still a rotten apple but now it’s in a new basket rotting everything else.

Ahhhh @!$%#cago. They care so much about money they are not going to teach their students.

I thought Obama said he cares about teachers!

Even in Chicago they are striking!

If you vote for Obama, you better get used to this!

THIS IS WHAT LIFE WILL LOOK LIKE IN OBAMAVILLE!

.

23 million Americans out of work!

Household incomes going down!

Gas prices and food costs going up!

No jobs! No opportunities! No hope!

.

OBAMA HAS FAILED!

TIME TO KICK HIM OUT!

Blame the teachers....

Blame the parents....

Blame the little bastards who don't want to learn and society for letting it get like this...

In less that 40 years America has gone from suit and tie with a well rounded education to pajama wearing, 40 oz. carrying entitled thugs... This whole country needs an enema!

......alternitive centers for supervision such as churches and community centers? What? Sounds like the kids were catered to instead of learning anything! Time for a complete Colonoscopy for the Chicago School District, the Parents, and the Labor Union!

Sounds like the kids were catered to instead of learning anything!

You must have misunderstood?

If the teachers strike, then where do you expect over 300,000 children to go while their parents work.

That shows just one of the problems with our education system.

It has become a babysitting service, because of single parent homes and low wages that require both parents to work in traditional families.

There's not an easy solution, and as low wages and poverty increase, our country will face even more challenges.

Look it is very simple, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO PAY AND GIVE BENEFITS LIKE WE USE TO

FIRE THEM ALL

lET'S START OVER WITH NO UNION, AFTER ALL IT CANNOT GET ANY WORSE

We, the teachers, are demanding more money ...........................................FOR THE CHILDREN'S SAKE!

We are showing how to put the arm on all the taxpayers of Chicago...............FOR THE CHILDREN'S SAKE!

Everyone must make sacrifices except teachers...........................................FOR THE CHILDREN'S SAKE!

Now children, what have you learned from this?

Trust no one and you'll never be fooled!

Guess Chicago teachers dont like Obamacare!

So much for union support in Chicago!

This is a novel approach. It begs the question. What happens if test scores improve while the teachers are on strike? History has a way of repeating itself and to pay the teachers more will likely result in no improvement for the students. This is the purpose of educating our children? It's a wonderful position to be in where the Government workers with exorbitant pay and befits, (significantly above private sector wages and benefits) can hold the lives of so many children and even their parents hostage. We need to unionize our military for maximum effect.

Maybe P.Obama can don those comfortable pair of shoes and join in the Strike Marches like he promised the Unions he would do, with Rahm at his side....While he's there, maybe a few Campaign rallies in the Southside....Urge the Gang-Bangers to turn in their guns and stop the dozens of weekend shootings....

Put the school kids back in uniforms, break the Gang Colors mentality....turn all the empty buildings into Reform School Centers....you can go back to school when you stop acting like animals....Want your free school breakfast and lunch....earn it daily with good behaviour in the classroom.

$13,000 per pupil spent in Chicago X 25 students per classroom = $325,000 per classroom.....Where is all that money going ??.....Here's one part of the answer....

"Illinois is burdened with administrators, ranking #44 in the nation!
Nationally, there are 56 teachers for every administrator, but in Illinois there
are only 33 teachers per each administrator."

http://www.illinoisloop.org/spending.html

"School officials said they will open more than 140 schools between 8:30 a.m. and
12:30 p.m. so children can eat lunch and breakfast in a district where many
students receive free meals. The district asked community organizations to
provide additional programs for students, and a number of churches, libraries
and other groups plan to offer day camps and other activities."

http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-teachers-strike-talks-fail-030846765.html

Public funded Day Care Warehouses.....

"CHURCHES" ???.....Did that say churches....How dare they turn to Churches ....What happened to that "Separation of Church & State " the progressives rant and gnash their collective teeth over ??

more money thrown at schools will not solve the problem...just look at DC. This is a deeper issue...and its too bad the teachers are too stupid to figure that out.

with teachers that dumb its no wonder these kids are not learning a damn thing.

air traffic controllers? fire them all and start over. most of them dont teach our kids anything anyway!

Are alien mutant nazis still infiltrating our colleges forcing students to become teachers and work for free while standing on burning hot coals..............??? Didn't think so.

GET BACK TO WORK.

Myth 2 is that teachers have to only teach the test because that is what they are told. Nope--if they successfully taught the CURRICULUM they wouldn't NEED to teach the test because they kids would KNOW the material. Nope, it is EASIER to teach the test.

Tain't necessarily so. Teachers I've talked to hate teaching the test, which addresses limited areas of a limited number of subjects. (No geography for example.)

Meanwhile, Rahmney Emanuel, coming from a wealthy north suburb background, has failed to revise or abolish Tax Increment Funding, which has stolen half-a-billion dollars a year from real estate taxes destined for schools and parks for over 2 decades and dumped that money into a fund that ex-Mayor Daley and now Emanuel have used largely to give financial head to corporate cronies. In addition, he and his imported Board of Ed CEO want to give more public funds to charter schools, which are a horrid practical joke masquerading as public schools, while demonizing real public school teachers. Pfu! Elitist robbery of the children he claims to be so concerned for.

Hows that collective bargaining working out for you Chicago? Before you push back, maybe you should learn just what your teachers pension programs are like and compare them to yours... Maybe you should see how many hours they actually work in a day as compared to you. Maybe you should remember they do not work 12 months a year. Then think about what they expect from you... yes you pay for them.

They get away with this because they have collective bargaining against politicians who want (need) their vote. This is a backwards and distorted system at best...

fhill, Obama doesn't have the balls to fire the union teachers like Reagan did the air traffic controllers. First of all, they are his supporters. Unions from all over the country will be watching to see what happens here. With so many voters today anti-union it should be interesting to see how this is portrayed in the press, and on the campaign trail.

Chicago needs their community organizer back.

Romney/Ryan 2012 - America for AMERICANS.

Havelinaz states: Unfortunately, American's have asked more and more of teachers and school systems in the past 50 - 100 years. Feed them, clothe them, provide morals, ethics and character as well as good, positive and healthy role models. Why? because these things are lacking at home. I can't imagine another human standing in a classroom just collecting a paycheck; only doing a minimal job. It takes a special person to work with children, especially that many.

Isn't this exactly what the current government wants - cradle to grave coddling by Big Government? That's why government keeps people on the welfare rolls - makes them more compliant and too lazy to take care of their own kid's discipline and education; yeah - leave it to the federally run schools to handle discipline and education who, in turn, will make more lazy, uneducated welfare voters.....

The Chicago Dems are reaping what they have sown. Of course the teachers are going on strike, they are ENTITLED to higher pay, ENTITLED to watered down evaluations and ENTITLED to a loose school environment. Who cares if the job they have done so far doesn't warrant a pay increase, but actually a pay reduction, they are ENTITLED. In their world you get paid more before you produce and don't expect any increase in production afterwards, but if there is you better be prepared to pay more because they are ENTITLED. And if it bankrupts the city and the education system , so be it, they are ENTITLED.

The only real question is how long it will be before the Dems in Chicago give in to their ENTITLED union Masters and how badly it will impact the tax payers.

BTW, there is no teachers strike in Wisconsin where Scott Walker did the right thing and saved the state from this type of non-sense. Too bad the Dems in Chicago don't have the fortitude (to put it nicely) to stand up to their union masters, better to let children and tax payers suffer.

Who could ever have imagined the former Obama adviser Rahm (never let a good crisis go to waste) Emanuel would not be handing a union everything they wanted? After all it is just taxpayer money and votes for the Democratic Party are worth any expense. There was certainly no expense spared in Washington when Obama and Emanuel came to town, and they paid off the auto unions so this is totally out of character for any Democrat. Do you think maybe someone explained to Emanuel what is required to balance a budget? But it should come as no surprise that teachers in Chicago want more pay and benefits for minimal effort, after all they see the lavish perks and benefits paid out to those in Washington for doing absolutely nothing.

S#@tcago; typical corrupt, union, Democrat controlled hellhole. It will never be anything more than that. A blackhole of money, a 3rd world country in miniature, and a source of people who attempt to screw up the rest of the America just as badly. There are a number of states that this nation would be better off if we gave them to another country. Illinois is one of them

And here is the background info on those involved in creating the broken school system in Chicago and the ENTITLEMENT mentality of the teachers union. From WAPO article today.

Emanuel was Chief of Staff for President Obama, who lived in Chicago before moving to the White House. Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, was chief executive officer of the public schools in Chicago for more than seven years before being tapped by Obama.

Obama is hoping that labor organizations will help get out the vote for him in November and members will support him at the ballot box. A strike by teachers who oppose his education policies right now could well affect how some of them vote.

Chaos in Duncan’s former school system is hardly a strong endorsement of his leadership there, either, as many of the issues that teachers are grappling with go back to his tenure

HMMMM. they are not having these problems in Wisconsin

The Chicago Teacher's Union has annual revenues of $32 million dollars. Maybe the teachers are striking against the wrong group.

Well, there is a lot of posts and I can see why!

I understand some teachers have it hard, especially in the inner cities. But part of the problem of the breakdown of family comes with the rising costs of living...namely school and property taxes.

There is so much political power and corruption in education. I feel that the union needs to be weakened and teachers negotiate directly with the town.

I also agree that if teachers want to be payed what they think they are worth in the private sector, then they have to abide by the rules of the private sector: no tenure yet make their dismal dependent upon review, work ALL YEAR with three weeks vacation (they could keep the six hour school day and get comp time if needed), have a 401K plan, social security, give a bonus based on performance and have a twice yearly review.

Except for Police and Firefighters, who place their lives on the line, public unions are civil servants employed by the tax payer. They should be answerable to the tax payer.

Education has been plummeting in this country no matter how much you throw at the teachers - or the superintendents.

I went to catholic school and got a GREAT education. My best friend just placed her daughter in catholic school because of the horrible quality of her public school system and she's protestant!

Anyone else see how nearly every segment of our great country that is governed by democrats is going down the tubes?? Wisconsin is a shining example of what the rest of the county should be like. Vote these fools out, people, vote them out while you can!!!

I believe that the discussions I've read so far have some valid points, and some that are rooted in ignorance of the subject. There are two ideologies being tossed about; public vs. private and charter schools. The other discussion is teacher performance. I would like to address both coming from the perspective of teaching in a public school for fifteen years, and having friends who teach in charter schools. I cannot say with any certainty how this system works in other states, just AZ which is where I reside and work. Our state legislature has cut education funding in this state heavily. In the past four years, I have had cuts not only in my pay, but in the amount of money that is spent in the classroom. I will say that I am grateful to have a job, no doubt of that, but there are things that could greatly enhance my teaching abilities. First of all, the textbooks that I have to use because we have no money to purchase new ones are almost twelve years old. They have dirty words and nasty pictures drawn in them, and each year I try to erase whatever is written in pencil. I start the year fresh with my spiel about how previous students have not been respectful of the books, and I hope that they will not add to the mix. I ask them to do the impossible and "ignore" the vulgarities. It's shameful. Not only is the material in the books not up to date information wise, but it doesn't cover the national or state standards of the new higher rigor curriculum. We don't have the money to buy pencils, paper, highlighters, pens, or any of the basics. Each year I spend about $700 of my own money to provide these basics that should be covered by my employer. Along with the pay cuts and higher demands on my time, students are coming to school with no motivation to work; they believe that they can get by without the effort. I talk to them continuously about the necessity of a work ethic, not only in school, but in their adult work life. It seems as if they are coming to school with fewer manners, no respect for teachers or peers, no intrinsic motivation. This is where I believe that parents need assistance. I have parents come to teacher conferences, and they do not know how or have hardly ever imposed consequences for behavior that I would have been grounded for and several priviledges taken away. As an earlier post said, teachers are expected to do "everything" and we cannot do it alone and without true parental support. In the 18 years that I've been in public education, I have rarely seen the "bad" teacher that is so tossed about today. In my time, I have only witnessed two that I, as a parent, would never have my child in their classroom. I think the thought that there are thousands who are bad and just collecting a paycheck is flat-out wrong. Yes, we do want an income! I have a college degree, 18 hours of graduate coursework, 400 plus hours of additional training, and I will have to continue spending my own money for more classes. With that said, I know some think we make a very decent income, and have a great deal of time off. With my education and background, I make under $30,000 a year. I can make a mortgage payment and electric bill, but do not have enough for the rest. I have to work a second job for that. Many of us do work two jobs. We are not paid for any holidays or vacation, but we do get some sick days paid - 5 per year. My contract now goes year to year, and part of my pay and evaluation are dependent on student performance.

Charter schools offer choice, yes. Do I think charter schools are "bad" - no. What I do believe is that they should have to operate by the same rules. Charter schools should have qualified and state certified teachers, and many do not. Charter schools should be open to all; kids with disabilities, behavior problems, and kids who do not perform academically - they aren't. Charter schools in this area have entrance exams, do not have services available for sped and resource students. They often have the ability to pick and choose which students they will accept. Public schools, by law, cannot turn anyone away. Charter schools have received more funding for a while now. Teachers may receive a bit more pay there, but are offered no retirement. What I personally see is that my school is tending to have students who are the "misfits" who cannot get into the charter schools. Oh, and here is another scenario that commonly occurs. All schools, public and charter, run on ADM money, a student count, funding given for each student. A student either in public or a charter school is failing because of lack of work, etc. The parent goes to admin and says, "Johnny is flunking and if his grades don't improve, I'm taking him to the public/charter school." Admin then tells the teacher to make sure Johnny is passing because we don't want the student count to go down. I've seen it happen both ways.

I believe that many in politics today do not want public education to succeed, especially in AZ. They will spend less and less to provide the materials and support that teachers need to be successful in the classroom. If it fails they can say, "See, I told you they were no good!. Charter schools in AZ are not outperforming public schools on the tests. I would hate to see the only choice for an education in this country be private and charter schools. Education does not fit, or will never fit the typical business model. For profit education will only leave more and more Americans without an education. I believe that we can have both, but that it has to be fair and equal. My peers work very hard, and some on this thread believe we are all lazy gluttens who want something for nothing......not so. Yes, we do want a wage that can support a family so that we don't have to apply for food stamps and social assistance. Yes, we do deserve some respect for a very difficult job. Yes, we do want all schools to play by the same rules. I think if you could experience our daily work lives, you may be a little kinder. After all, we are just doing the best we can do with the resources given us. We are working hard, paying bills, and trying to live just like you are:) I wish you all the best in your chosen fields of work:)

A person has to be stupid to keep blaming this on one political party only.

Its like arguing which one of your cut off hands picks up your food better.

But I won't tell that to people crying about the boo boo bad guy party, whatever that is, because they love to b!tch all about it.

Tom2

Best way to educate our kids is for the states to allow parents to send kids to private schools and pay the schools the average cost of public schools

Hey, yeah! This way, those private schools will become public schools when they start receiving State money. They won't be private anymore. They'll be filled with kids that don't want to learn at taxpayers expense. What school did you go to?

It is a national problem.

Point 1.- The fact is that the reason that parents aren't able to ensure their kids are doing the owrk and studying is because in this economy both parents have to work, some of them 2 jobs to support their family in a lifestyle that used to be supported by one parent 20-30 years ago. It's not that they are bad parents, it's that they are absent parents because their number one priority is to clothe, feed and shelter their children. What little time they have left they use for relationship building with their child. Most parents I know would love to be waiting at home for little johnny with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, ready to help him with his homework... But that's a dream that died a long time ago.

Point 2. - That same economy has meant that property values have done nothing but decline in Chicago and the rest of the country for the last 5 years. Declining property values means declining property tax revenues. Most public schools are funded primarily through property taxes, and I assume that Chicago is no different. Even so, incomes have also declined steadily over the last 5 years for the private sector and costs of living (gas, food, etc) have steadily risen. The squeeze on working class families is crushing. Where then so we propose to get the money to increase payroll for teachers? Do we believe that placing an added burden onto these already strapped families is going to help them overcome the problems with point one above? It will only add to the responsibilities that will be shifted to the teachers.

Point 3 - Teachers are not teaching as effectively as they did before. It used to be that teaching was a calling, much like that to become a priest or a nurse. It was never a profession that one entered to become upper middle class. I know many teachers, and while they do bring work home (papers, lesson plans) the work they do at home is maybe 4-5 hours a week. Tops. But then they only work between 7-2 are home when their own kids are home. They get every holiday off. The get a week off at Christmas and Easter time. And they get the whole summer off to rest and relax with their families (or work a summer job if they want extra cash.) If a teacher is only making 50,000 that means they are making $29 per hour, including the time they put in at home. If Chicago teachers are averaging $70k as stated by their union then they are making $40.50 per hour. That seems like a more than reasonable salary, when you add in that teachers also get awesome benfits and premium working hours, I happen to think that they are better off than most of us so all this complaining that teachers are underpaid and overworked can really stop now. It doesn't hold water any more - not even a little bit.

Point 4 - No parents I know treat school like a day-care center. They send their children to school to have them educated first and foremost. As a parent, if my child were not being educated I would find another school for him to attend. Do I work during the hours that he's in school? Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm unreachable if his teacher wants to call me or email (or text or tweet or skype of facebook or any number of ways to communicate in this day and age). The fact that I'm earning a salary instead of baking bread and watching Day of our Lives at home shouldn't chang ethe way my son is cared for at the school. Aftercare is not part of the school day, but is added on after the school day is over and is actually daycare, parents pay extra for it, and it should be treated as such.

Point 5 - This is why public unions should have never been allowed to form in the first place. It's one thing when you have a private sector union fighting managment in order to balance the buisness desire for profits and labors need for fair wages etc. But in the public sectors case, "managment" is we the people and those "profits" are the household incomes that we all have to support our own families on.

@xina, check your math. Very few teachers in America make anywhere near $50,000. Yes, divide my salary by the hours I am contracted to work and I make $25.00 an hour for my B.F.A. AND M.Ed. That salary does not include the many, many hours after-school, at home and on weekends spent prepping for the students.

Point 1 of yours is a complete dismissal of reality. I certainly didn't birth your children; they are your responsiblity; regardless of what you dream. I am here to teach them a subject.

Point 3 of yours is spawned from ignorance. I am a mentor to a new teacher, yes, just out of college who absolutely wants to be a teacher. The expectations and effectiveness of teaching placed on teachers today are higher than they ever have been. Pay for performance, documenting the variety of differentiation used in the classroom, multiple IEP/504 children in the classroom requiring LEGAL accommodations some drastically different from each other which requires daily documentation. Administrative policies that cover their behinds, not ours, redundant paperwork and forms in triplicate that reiterate what was stated two forms prior and professional development sessions that 'enhance' our ability to teach and cover administration's rears. After spending 36 weeks in the classroom, you bet I need 16 various weeks off during the year! You try it!

Point 4 - yes, isn't communication today great! Find me the time to fit that one into my day! It's not that we don't want to call you; it's the time factor again. Like you stated, we just don't live in those times anymore. The multitude of moment-to-moment decisions regarding children's safety, education and well-being do take tremendous thought and effort. You wish us to stop the bullying that happens during recess, you want us to provide healthy meals for your child, you want us to provide character lessons, counsel them when they are sad and reinforce joy when they are happy, as well as grade their papers so tomorrow they are not disappointed that they didn't fail the homework/test/quiz/reading etc. You want us to provide meaningful activities that promote self-esteem as well as teach practical workplace skills and make connections to other subject areas so that problem-solving skills are enhanced. You want us to recognize and support the individual child. You want us to do this for 30 (sometimes more) students during an 8 hour day with 25 (or less) minutes for lunch (because we have to walk your children to the lunchroom to be safe). Oh, yes, I forgot, the amount of time allotted for this is 45 - 55 minutes every other day because they only have art, music or p.e. every other week.

Like I stated before; I love what I do, I love working with the students and I love the fact that no two days are ever the same.

To all who read this, please, please, please, take the time to go walk in your child's teacher's shoes. Not just for an hour; try the whole day. Too many in this comment section have little or no foundation for their comments and show their ignorance of the education system.

This is not the teacher's fault...

Kids should shut off their I-pods phones and TV's and do their homework. There is no teacher at home except the parent.

If a kid comes to school without their homework, it's not the teachers fault.

If they didn't study at home for the test, it's not the teachers fault.

If they are bringing drugs and weapons to school, that's not the teachers fault.

It's the parents fault.

If a teacher doesn't go by the curriculum and the kid fails,it's the teachers fault.

If the teacher does go by the curriculum and the kid fails, it's either the parents fault, the school boards fault, or the school administrators fault.

Responsibility and respect start at home., not at school. It may carry on, but only works if the kid is willing to learn.That's why they are graded. Others do it, why not yours?

Get over it. Take the time to look at what your kids are doing after school, and get involved at the PTA meetings. After all, they are your kids. The teachers have their own kids at home to worry about.

they should limit the amount of drinks served while on the job when the news folks are doing editing work.. :)

They regularly clip the headline list with another headline list. Long enough that whoever should have fired the person responsible, should be fired themselves. The only thing they never screw up is the ads.

Someone has already mentioned it-Chicago has amoung the highest property taxes in the country. Why should there be a funding problem with the schools? Someone's wasting money somewhere. And no one has an explanation. There was an excellent post here from someone who grew up in a nasty neighborhood with very low income. They studied and got something done, while they were surrounded by druggies and ne'er do wells. Teachers are getting judged by standardized testing of the ne'er do wells who probably have parents who instruct their kids to be ne'er do wells. I'd strike too in this situation.

Boy, the Teachers Unions are hypocrites in the matter of caring for the students. Shame on the teachers unions, they claim they care about the students and yet they don't mind to put themselves first when they go on strike. I am against unions all together, they are so corrupted and waste $$$$$$$$$$$. I told my husband to get out of the union, for numerous reason. 1. I don't want his union dues going to any political party, that money should stay with workers not for the corrupted politicians. 2. The unions bully tactics or thuggery ways. 3. $$$$$$$$$$ costing states to go bankrupt which falls on all the tax payers. It's a shame that the students get the shaft of a education do to union selfishness or greed.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

piegan... Unions have been getting attacked for about 20 years now. Today most jobs are not union jobs and if you are not aware of the effects of that let me point some out to you. Not long ago workers could expect to work an 8 hr shift and recieve overtime if you went beyond that. Most employers also provided health insurance, disability insurance and life insurance to employees. Not just union employees but also the non-union employees as well.This is because non union people claim ( rightfully ) that they should get the same benefits as the union workers had bargained for. In reality most of the time people in the offices of a manufacturing plant got better benefits and raises than the union worker when contracts were signed.

Today none of those union benefits are common and it is getting worse. 9,10 and 12 hour days are common as are 7 day work weeks. Few employers provide healthcare and other benefits are disappearingas well. Holidays , vacations and sick leave will be gone soon and wages will remain stagnet and possiblt cut because unions aren't setting the baseline anymore.

So I say to you that good for these teachers for standing up in your behalf as well as thier own because without unions support the middle class will not be here much longer.

Avenger- You have your opinion and I have mine. I would rather keep my union dues in my pocket then have the union give it to a Politicial party that I don't agree with. Further more the unions have been bleeding the states dry which us tax payers have to pay in higher taxes which we Americans cannot afford especially today with high gas and food prices. So please spare me your Liberal antics.

Avenger...........you need to get into a PUBLIC SECTOR union. It's all different there!

Chicago teachers have pension benefits that are way too gnerous. Acording to the Chicago teachers Pension Fund website (ctpf.org), a teacher making $80,000 per year can retire with a lifetime benefit of $60,000 per year. The pension benefit at age 65 equals 75% of salary and is EXEMPT from state taxes. If the retiring teacher makes $100,000 per year (and many who retire do), then the annual pension benefit would be $75,000 per year. These pension benefits are more than most workers in the private sector make when they are workking full-time.

Totally agree, that mayor has lost his mind. Asking them to work longer hours and take an hourly pay cut. If it was me I would tell him to kiss my @SS.

I see that the Obama machine is working as usual, Unions disagreeing with organized crime/local government.

I think the prudent thing to do is , send the community organizer back to Chicago to fix it.

Expect and early resolution to the mess

"Teachers agree to a 2% pay increase, Obama campaign accepts another $8million from Teachers' Union."

I see clueless people are on here again. Teachers are one of the most underpaid and highest work hours in any career.

They have paid freeze or decrease for years and some barely even get 35k per year. If you think you can do better job, then by all mean try it.

Taking hostage? It's government taking your children hostage by cutting funds and make it so most people wouldn't want to be teachers in the future.

They have paid freeze or decrease for years and some barely even get 35k per year.

Ok, Cuong, please dont preach that liberal crap here, I am a truck driver, wages in this country haven't increased with inflation or the increase in workload for years!

Highest work hours? 7-4? please dont BS me, the public school system is flawed in so many ways. Yes, there are many good teachers that work their a$$ off. But when I have to pay an additional $427 in associated fees for my child, suck up the increases to my property tax to meet mil levy increases, added fees for buses with decreased routes, etc ? Because they cant meet budget/ Somebody needs to get off there backside and do their job.

@Johnny-3647544

So, tell me how much you know about being teachers?

My boss' wife is one and she is always busy, grading, making materials for class each day, not to mention others thing.

You are a truck driver, your job end when you get to the destination and prepare for the next. However, teachers are busy almost 24/7 and even in weekend.

Your complaint are for the top, the one that get huge paycheck and greatly misdirect. Try to be a volunteer teacher for a week and see how you like it.

Agree with you. Teachers' importance is very disregarded and forgotten. I will student teach next semester, but I know what to expect. The priorities of this country are all about money, so we will continue to suffer setbacks in education. I want to teach because I know many students need assistance to be prepared when they leave secondary school. I realize kids will suffer, and there is mention of "what happened to kids first?," but how long does this neglect occur. I'm not from Chicago, but I know the teachers in NM work the long hours with below deserving pay. Rahm appears to be egotistical, and I don't doubt it if he feels the students give him leverage against the teachers striking. I don't know the specifics of what the final offer was, and that info would clarify things and critiquing could be more objective. Hopefully this strike does not last very long, but it appears that is unknown right now by most involved.

Public education isn't all what it's cracked up to be.

All you teachers know Illinois is broke and can't even borrow anymore. You knew what the job in Chicago paid when you took it. Now your turning down a 16% raise? For the public sector, our raises and job security come from job performance. What is wrong with that?

Time to fire them all, break the union and hire people that care about the kids.

My sister is a teacher in Michigan and makes $85,000 per year, has half the year off, nice bennies and gets 35 free massages per year through her insurance. Nice gig if you can get it. I feel so sorry for teachers. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!

Right on Bev...

Average Teacher's salary in Chicago is approximately 71k a year not including benefits. New York is 76k a year. That number makes Chicago second highest in the nation for pay. And these people are complaining? Also they stated the pay wasn't the big hold up. It's the accountability measures and 'job security' (IE I suck but you can't fire me) provisions that are holding things up.

Teachers work no harder then any other professional in a given field. I don't want to hear about the long hours at home, grading little johnny and debbie's papers and it's so hard you don't know what it's like whaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Enough. Most of America works roughly 60 hours a week, we know exactly what it's like, and we don't get 3 months a year off with big fat vacations in the middle of the rest of the working 9 months. And after pulling those 60 hours a week, most parents still have to sit down with their child and help them with school work, or take them to this function or that function, and find money for band, or choir, or the sports trip, etc etc etc. So trust me Ms. Teacher we know damn well what a hard day's work is, and we pull it every day. And most Americans aren't making NEAR 71k a year with the benefits you get while pulling that hard day's work.

Unions, especially teacher's unions, are about the teachers and not the kids, not the job, it's about the adults and covering their lazy backsides. If ever there was one (1) job in this country where unions should be outlawed it should be in the public school system. This issue wouldn't be such a sore point for most people usually. But lets face it, public schools are not just costing an arm and a leg, while allowing their 'employees' to get away with murder. They are doing a completely craptastic job in educating our youth today.

When you have examples like the charter school in DC that was primarily funded by vouchers and targeted poor inner city kids (of which Obama ended the voucher program to that school on day 1 in office) educating these kids at a third (1/3rd) the cost of the public school's cost in the area (DC way overfunds education) and those same kids were failing and barely learning anything, and after a short year at this charter school they are wiping the floor with DC public school students in test scores. The kid didn't change, the Parents didn't change, the only thing that changed was the school system and the teachers in that school system. So you tell me with glaring examples like that showing up all over the country who is it that is not pulling their weight?

They say South Dakota has the lowest paid teachers in the country but I am willing to bet that your kids will get a better eduacation there than illinios.

It's true that teachers work fairly hard and do have a significant amount of pressure on their shoulders.

But what job doesn't involve hard work and pressure these days? Especially ones making $70k+. I see IT guys at my firm making around $75k, and they work as hard as anybody - they stay late and on weekends all the time (probably 60 hours/week). I also probably put it in 75 hours a week working in accounting. Everyone works hard. Suck it up (my wife is a teacher, so I know what it's like. She works hard but not nearly as hard as I do. And there is a lot more pressure on my shoulders..when I screw up, my bosses make sure I know it, and they really have the power to fire me at will practically).

But what about the benefits that teachers have over other professions? 2 - 3 months vacation every single year. Better job security. Health benefits. And defined benefit pensions...pensions are by far worth the most. They are often, at PV, worth well over $1 million when a teacher retires. That's one huge golden parachute.

And teachers do put in overtime, but it's slightly different overtime than what I do. My wife sits in front of the TV for 45 minutes a night, and gets everything done while watching Bachelor Pad. Meanwhile, I stay at clients until 9 or 10 every night, and I don't get paid a cent extra working overtime.

I feel like I'm complaining, but really I'm not. I'm happy with my job - I get paid well and enjoy the work (somewhat). More importantly, how can I complain when there are millions out of work, who'd gladly take my job in a heartbeat?

That's why it pisses me off when teachers complain about 4% raises and too much work, while making $75k.

Yeah, public school is nothing more than a daycare now.

Take your children out of public school! Home school them.

Since the inception of the US Dept of Education, our education system has failed children and gotten worse each and every year. Blame the teachers, blame the unions, blame the administrators, blame the politics, blame them all..., it is time to fire them all and start over.

@Wake up2840: Sounds like an indictment of the US Dept of Education. Maybe the states could make better use of the $71 billion budget (does not include Pell Grant money) of the US Dept of Education.

The Chicago Public Schools spend $13,000 per student. Among the highest in the nation. The tax payers of Chicago and Illinois are not getting their money's worth.

This union is nuts! They are lucky to have a dang job! Don't like the size of the classrooms? Quit, go somewhere else. Overcome, adapt, improvise! That's what teachers are for. Pensions for teachers? Let the municipal file bankruptcy and then see how much pension they get... whatever the bankruptcy judge and trustee say they will get. Awwww tooooo badddd. Most of these teachers probably suck in the first place.

It's not that teachers "don't like" the size of classes - it's that students don't get the attention they need when there are 30something other kids in class along with them. It's not out of teacher convenience that smaller class sizes are requested - it's out of advocacy for the students who deserve better.

It's not that teachers "don't like" the size of classes - it's that students don't get the attention they need when there are 30something other kids in class along with them. It's not out of teacher convenience that smaller class sizes are requested - it's out of advocacy for the students who deserve better.

What a crock

Oh yeah, because teachers would get pay so much and work so little, oh wait...

Teaching career is one of the job least amount of people would want to go into. Government cuts funding for education and I guess you would cheer on that.

Idiots people are everywhere, never travel more than 100 miles from where they live.

@Cuong: The only teacher shortages are in the STEM subject matters. There is an abundance of college graduates with teaching degrees who do not have jobs.

IF the teachers are so concerned about class size re: Attention for the individual student, then the Teachers' Union in Chicago SURELY is campaigning actively against Chicago being a sanctuary citizen for illegals, RIGHT?

I mean, there is NOTHING that cuts down on a teacher's time for each student more than having to deal with so many kids who do not even speak ENGLISH, RIGHT?

And BTW--I doubt if Illegals contribute much to the TAX base that pays for schools, but they SURE contribute in NUMBERS of kids they popl out, to the size of each class.

@dave20121

And where are your stats?

My boss's wife is a teacher for highschool here and she would work day and night most of the time. I went over and she is always busy and her pay is less than 40k per year.

Perhaps before you say anything, get to know the situation better. Highest work hours, one of lowest paid and you tell me lots of people want this?

It also have strict requirement to even begin to teach, you can't expect new graduates without thousands of hours to teach, yes in thousands of hours, not hundreds.

Doubt she works in chicago for 40K unless its here very first year. Chicago is always in the top 10 for teacher pay....and look how bad the graduation rate still is.

@CuongDNguyen

Maybe if you move to Chicago, she will get those better wages. New Mexico and Texas are not known for the amounts that they pay the teachers unless they are professors at a University.

@Cuong

The real stats are hard to derive. However, if we look at the facts that thousands of teachers have been laid off over the last three years and there are thousands of college graduates with teaching degrees, it isn't a far leap that there are a lot of people who want that job.

I have several family members who are or were teachers. Every single one of them liked the job for its work and life balance. Only on rare occasions did any of them put in extra hours of work.

Furthermore, I have coached wrestling at the high school level and understand what those strict requirements are. I have worked closely with several teachers. It is no different than anywhere else that I've worked. Some teachers are hard working and some are slackers.

Why shouldn't there pay and evaluation be based on student performance?

and all in a city totally run and managed by Democrats and Union Thugs..., who would have thought?

Cuong

The average teacher salary, not including benefits, in Chicago is over $70,000.00 per year. Try again, but this time use real facts instead of made up BS.

Hate to brake it to you But some kids just don't want to learn it's a hard fact that people in our country want to ignore. Teachers should not suffer because a student thinks they will be a bricklayer and make more then the teacher as soon as they hit 17(one of my dads students told him this).

A teacher should not be held responsible for a child that gets no support from his parents , or a student that doesn't care. We have been using teachers as the end all be all scapegoats for far too long when teacher in fact have very little power. It's policy and administration that has the power start looking to that Not trying to punish teachers.

Teachers teach. They need to get more involved with the teaching process. They are solely responsible for them from about 7:30 to 4pm. Let them be responsible. Chicago teachers suck these days

No teacher are not Solely responsible for students. Education starts at the home and end at the community. We used to understand that. Now we just want to blame teachers when the students are doing well enough and pretend it's not "our" problem. The fact is Teacher have little to no power. It's education policy and school administration that need to be changed with a new focus on the "Parent" part of the triangle.

Then what are the parents doing? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They should go to jail for it.

Reba, Clearly you are not in touch with reality and are just talking out your Anus. A neat trick but it does nothing to solve the problem. Before you spout off any more of your noxious fumes why don't you educate yourself about the issue then possibly you will not sound quite so ignorant the next time you off gas on an issue.

Vargus,

This is so a non issue for me. You have the brats, you deal with it. I find it funny that parents are freaking. They should have done that when the strip turned blue!

Do you truely think that any teacher would want to be rated by student performance? Hahahah...I love all this spouting of uneducated people.

You have 2nd and 3rd graders in the same class room being taught the same thing by the same teacher. That's not the teacher's fault.

You have mentally handicapped people sitting in these same class rooms as well because "special education" just cannot be afforded anymore and is ignored. That's not the teacher's fault.

You have parents who's lives are so much more important than their kid's education that they take no part in the education of their own child at home. That's not the teacher's fault.

What you DO have out there are people who thing teachers should do everything FOR the parent. I've heard it straight out of more than a few parents. "That's what they are paid for." is the common reply. They send their children to school sick rather then keep them home. Of course a teacher with a room full of sick kids would never need good benefits. Duh! They don't attend parent/teacher conferences because they are too busy. They never donate their time to school activities that could use volunteers. And yet it is the teacher who doesn't care. Never mind that it is the teacher who watches out for their children, reports their progress, grades their accomplishments. Yet parents cannot even keep their own children from stealing their gun from a closet and bringing it to school. You teacher-haters make my stomache turn.

Why are teachers striking?!?! Because they can!!!!

Are they not being paid? Is someone making them scrub the school floors after hours with their tooth brush?

Have job related fatalities increased? Is there unsafe levels of lead in their pencils? NO, no, no and no!!!

I WANT A RAISE AND I WANT IT NOW, OR YOUR CHILDREN WILL PAY!!!

Nothing but a bunch of UNION THUG EXTORTIONIST!!

GET back to work DEAD BEAT. I can guarantee you will get your raise, because you always do!! IT JUST WON'T BE THIS MORNING!!

MRZ, such passion about the issue. Why not correct the problem by becoming a teacher and replacing the deadbeats? Or is it too much of a challenge for you. Perhaps the pay is not good enough? You could always strike for more pay and better benefits.

Ruby I know you are right and everyone else is wrong. And regardless of your hatred for children and education, you are still affected by the quality of education and teachers in your community. If the teachers, schools, parents and administration in your community are good, your community will thrive. If they are bad, your community will suffer. Just because you don't have kids and thank god for that, doesn't mean that education and the schools do not affect. An informed citizen realizes this.

editor must be a chicago public school student

I've noticed MANY editing errors on MSNBC recently.

I believe it's because the editors are so busy slobbering over all the obama propaganda MSNBC puts out that they don't have time to edit the real news stories.

Nah, they all went to Chicago schools

YAY FLAME 7-77!!!!!

THIS TOO, will RUIN OBAMA! I'm so excited I could just pee myself!!! I can't wait to see how they will handle this one!!

You definitely under estimate things don't you? LOL

Teachers across the country have been under pay and hiring freezes for the past 3-5 years. You want to fix education look to Policy and school administration as teacher have very little power in the school system.

These efforts to link teacher pay to student result is another in a long line of scapegoat practices to ignore the bad policy and bad administrators who hold the real power in our school districts. The more we try to restrict teachers the worse education has gotten.

@OBAMAFAILED - You know which countries have higher scores? Ones that pay their teachers well, treat them with respect, and limit class size so students get the attention they deserve. You know, the same things the teachers of Chicago are advocating.

My parents always told me that because you don't like your job you don't do a lousy job. You do the best you can until you get a better one

@MockingbirdGirl: If teachers deserve more pay, than why not tie it to performance? If the student performance doesn't improve, they are simply ineffective. If they are ineffective, are they simply overpaid babysitters?

I understand that education is a partnership with the parents, but there are more than enough unemployed teachers willing to step into these roles at the current pay rate. Perhaps, new blood might inspire some students. Tenure is such a stupid thing.

Hey chicago...better call your boy home from the whitehouse, maybe he can deal with the unions....not!....call scott walker he knows what to do...

Health Insuracne and Retirement are not "free perks" they are part of the teachers salary. Teachers are professionals. Public school teachers are required to have at least a bachelors degree from an accredited university, pass professionaly exams, and participate in continueing education this qualifies them as professionals. Many teachers have advanced degrees such as masters degrees and even doctoral degrees. As professionals teachers generally have health insurance and retirement as part of their salary package. A teacher with a masters degree makes roughly $40,000 to $50,000 per year depending on their experience. Look at the benefits and salary ofa lawyer who has the same amount of schooling, passed professional exams, and participates in continueing education and see how the two professionals comare.

In chicago they make much more that $40-50k. It is one of the highest paid districts in the country already.

As most the college graduates are finding out the silly piece of paper that says you have a advanced degree means nothing when everyone has them. It is easy to get a masters in any degree other than a science or math. You picked the wrong profession to compare to. A lawyer actually has to pass a state bar which is much harder than any teaching certificate....and then guess what they make far less than teachers. Many are working in retail for just above minimum wage or have you not been reading about all the lawyers who want the government to forgive their school loans.

I do not know much about the situation in Chicago, but I doubt the teachers are striking to hurt the children. I am sure property taxes there are terrible, vehicle costs to get to the job to do the teaching is soaring, the dangers around the schools with the violence that is in that city are not bearable and if the teacher is a single parent, the costs probably come close to a living wage.

You could not pay me to teach in Chicago, especially when the kids that come to school may have weapons, but I could not protect myself. Rahm or whatever along with Obama should have made Chicago one of the best cities in the country to live and learn in. They just want the money and the votes.

I do not know whom to agree with, but I am glad my youngster graduated from a rural town in Texas and we did not have the problems of big city life. Please keep Mr. President Obama and Rahm in Chicago when they do leave their present jobs. We do NOT want them here in the South!

Chick,

Learn about CA before speaking. Your ignorance is showing. Oh, are you one of these teachers to strike? Figures.

Teachers don't teach "for the children." They teach for a paycheck. If parents don't like that aspect of it, they should keep the kids at home and teach them themselves.

The parents are teaching their kids. How to drink and drive. How to expect a hand out. How to play the victim game. How to be an anchor on the boat of society.

Fact is, if the parents actually spent time parenting, and not doping it up, boozing it up, gambling it up, and the host of other sht most of these people do, then the kids wouldn't be doing so poorly in school. Not all parents are dirtbags, but I am willing to bet there isn't a person on here that doesn't know of at least a handful of the types I mentioned above.

Support the teachers, and not the Unions. Keep in mind, the teachers care. They have a wealth of experience and education they WANT to share. Otherwise they wouldn't be teachers.

Americans are hamsters on the government-run treadmill. Around and around we go. Costs more to live so you work more, if you can, and everything else in your life, including balance and values, falls away. The government has a plan for your life - the plan is that you do what you are told, pay as much as they say you owe, speak how they say you can speak, act how they say you can act, war when they say you war, and with government welfare and healthcare you will die when they say you will die. America has become the land of the Fee. Can we afford our overreaching federal government? Would you rather have your life back? Say no to Forward, Comrade. Say no to big government. Say no to destroying America. Say yes to all that scary freedom and liberty. Say yes to taking your country back. No matter how long America has been going down the wrong road, just turn around. Vote for Liberty.

yea, and who among us does not want more money ?..including Mr. Romney

Yea Unions don't care which is why Across the country Teacher groups agreed to pay and hiring freezes for the past 3-5 years. Doing more work for less pay.

Most teachers haven't seen a raise in 4 years. But I'm sorry go on with you "unions just want money" Lets not let facts get in the way.

Booo hooo. Be thankful they have a job!

Neoatg--again, I ask you, WHERE Is Chicago supposed to get the MONEY?

And you do know that while teachers across the country are agreeing to pay freezes etc, THEY too are doing so BECAUSE there is no MONEY.

The alternative is to LAY PEOPLE OFF.

That is exactly what is happening to 1/6 of the PARENTS of the kids who go to these schools.

The unions latest demand before they went on strike was for a 25% raise over 2 years with 19% the first year....they really care for those children.

No, this is not Obama folks! Romney pure and simple. Out for himself and the rest let them eat cake. You know what happened the last time someone tried to say that. They lost their heads... literally. Romney is first in line!

SHUT UP !!!...sick of you Morons bringing obama's name into every god dam chat board, this is about the public schools and the City of Chicago, Obama has little to nothing to do with this directly !

Reba-587597 - Um excuse me - but what does Romney have to do with this?????

Thank you CalMike! Yeah, the hurricane that hit the US lately is Obama's fault too. He should have had the power to change the storm's direction!

Donna,

Read the post above mine. Chicago teacher are you?

Hey reba just as guilty as bush and katrina..ehh

Yeah, we saw what Bush favored, 9/11. Katrina is just as bad and it took them 3 days to go and survey the damage because HE WAS ON VACATION IN TX. A disaster is a disaster - man made or God made.

Bush who?

Wow Reba. I bet a week ago you would have blamed Bush. But that's just SO passe'. A new flavor of kewlade has you now blaming Romney....and he's not even in office.

Obama = not responsible for anything, ever in the entire history of his presidency.

Always someone elses fault.

What a titty baby.

Romney doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground.

Been checking it out that close, huh, Reba?

What an idiot. Unions are ruining this county, huh? How do you think decent wages non-union workers are established in the first place? By the wonderful graces of employers? No. It is from what other people, meaning union workers, get paid. Employers hiring non-union workers have to match that wage with one that is decently matched to get the same-skilled employee. Take away that decently paid union worker and there is no base. People will start working for far less than their worth in the job market. THAT is why Republicans don't want Unions to exist. They want to pay you as little as possible and not have to pay for your benifits so they can hoarde the money for themselves.

As for the teacher portion of this... You all need to spend a day as a teacher before spreading your crap opinions of how they should be fired. Most parents these days do n't even go to teachers conferences because they can't be bothered, yet they criticize the teachers for not caring enough. They've gone 4+ years of not getting raises, taking benifit cuts... Oh, and speaking of benifit cuts, lets throw you in a room of snot-nosed kids who want nothing more than touch you and other kids. Kids, by the way, who have parents who can't even send them to school with a few Kleenexes in their pockets to wipe their noses with.

Most probably don't even know that there are seperate grades being taught by the same teacher at the same time. That's not the teacher's doing. And who makes those rules? Hmmm... it couldn't be the Board of Education, could it? You ever bother to see just how many members of the Board of Education have actually taught a class room? You'd be surprised.

Taxpayer money should NEVER go towards education. That is lumping the rest of us with no children in with that freak family that have 19 or 20! If you have children pay for them... entirely! No more tax credit, there should be tax debits. YOUUUUUUUUU pay for your own kids. Maybe this will lead to it.

I see teenagers walking the streets during the day that should be in school. Where are the parents? I would put the parents on the bill for the times the kids missed and make them pay out of pocket. If they miss too many, the parents go to jail! It's disgusting the amount of our tax money is wasted for schools and teachers that don't teach the children because they are not there!

Your a class A moron...where did you go to school, where does your neices and nephews go to school...just shut the F up and pay your taxes like the rest of us..you dont want kids, good for you, die a lonely old man !

Loser,

If you and a woman want to F and have kids, then you pay for them. What's wrong with that? My family does what makes you different or something special? NOTHING. Get a clue and some money. Can't afford it? Stop the F.

My tuition was paid in cash all the way through college with NO taxpayer assistance. My family didn't need "assistance".

You pay for mine like i pay for the next guys...deal with it...we ALL pay taxes here, you dont like that system, Move to a 3rd world country. I paid thousands in school taxes on my property for years and years before we had kids....I did not complain because it is for a good purpose...

It is not for a good purpose! You pay for yours, the other guy pays for his... I don't have any so my money doesn't need to pay for your MISTAKES! What a hypocrite! Can't afford them? I can tell you what to STOP doing to cause these kidiots!

You mean like taking money from the rich and giving it to the loosers.

Not when it comes to education! The number of children a couple have is in their control. Therefore the bills should be in their control!

CalMike--and AGAIN--where will the MONEY come from to 'give the teachers what they want? Build new schools, hire more teachers to lower class size?

Reba, You have no kids, that means other people's kids would have to pay for your retirement, health care, nursing home, et al when you are old. So your hate toward kids and parents in general is unjustified. We have population aging problem instead of too many kids problem, because it takes a lot of sacrifice for the parents to raise a kid, especially in the hostile environment created by people like you who would rather pay to have the parents jailed than pay to the tax for education. Just don't complain if the social security is no longer there and the medicare is gone when you are old, because no president can make magic if there are not enough young people to support the old. It is so sad an intelligent species could end because of selfish and greed.

Hey lucc, that would be "losers." Some of you are just too funny! LOL!

Reba, we all pay taxes for things we wish we didn't have to pay for. I'm sure there are services your family uses that perhaps others don't, that are paid by the taxpayers as well.

While I agree with you that people should only have the # of children that they can afford to have, public education has always been just that. PUBLIC. Paid for by the taxpayers.

As for the Unions.. Get rid of them. Unions were an important thing years ago, setting such things as wages, standard hours, overtime pay, child labor laws, etc Today however, the unions are nothing but cash cows for the union itself and the politicians.The unions support the campaigns

The teachers need more money "For the Children?" Will the teachers making more money make them any better at teaching? Can we put each teacher to the test on that and if they get this raise based on their students test grades at the end of the year? If at least 80% of the students don't pass with a min B average we can take back the raises right?

yeah right

The 'newest' buzzword - Forward - as in Forward, comrades.

Cant fire thousands of teachers, you will have tens of thousands of kids roaming the streets and it will take MONTHS to replace them all.....smarten up !

Thousands are ALREADY roaming the streets. That's when the parents should go to jail. They have control. Exercise that control! You can't, put the brats in a military school.

Military dont take 10 year olds...what kind of idiot are you ?

Military school moron. They do take them as young as 7. How about educating yourself so you may be able to change your handle, "Loser".

Loser, never make a promise your butt can't keep! You don't want to meet up with me pal. It's too bad you can't afford your family. It really is and I feel sorry for you. It appears you have kids to support YOU in your old age. Sounds like a HUGE burden you are going to put on them and expect them to like it and/or do it! Good luck!

"First off the only "Mistake" here is you, your parents should have aborted you, believe me if you said that to my face you would be on your ass quickly. "

Aren't you glad to see that the city employees, who are supposed to be public employees and serve the public are such great people? The sooner this strike gets settled, the sooner you'll have union thugs like calmike back in the classroom indoctrinating students.

Ok Mr Goody two shoes, not everybody is a saint like you apparently. You're a little biased here don't you think? Since your daughter is a teacher?

Look, the public school system is flawed. It has limitations and if you dont have any parental involvement at home, it doesnt matter what the system does, its called "personal responsibility" Everybody needs some.

BTW, home schooling is not feasible for everyone so, lay off the guilt trip, Mary Poopins.

You have absolutely no idea of what you're talking about. These teachers are making good money and have great benefits. The city is broke and had offered them modest raises. Raised that many in the private sector would be grateful to receive. Why don't I homeschool my child? Because I pay taxes into a system that is supposed to do that! That's right, I go to work every day and pay upwards of $10k a year in local taxes, $7 of which goes to to the public school system my daughter attends. I send my daughter to school with whatever supplies her teachers say are necessary, it's not my job to provide supply materials to other students. That's the responsibility of their parents. Bringing in pizza for kids? What is your point? Do you really think that did anything to benefit their education? My guess is that it was a distraction as it took attention away from the education process and put it on you. You seem to be trying to fill some personal void by making yourself look like a hero. Confidence complex perhaps?

It is very obvious by the strike that those teachers who participate in it only care about themselves as they have done a great disservice to the students. If those teachers would actually care about the students you'd see the school system turned back around.

If I were head of the school district I'd tell those striking teachers to either come to work or don't worry about coming back at all.

and what will you do if they don't come back?

dave - "And what will you do if they don't come back?" You embrace your freedom and make your own decisions. What an astounding assumption! That Americans are actually capable of making their own decisions about the educational options for their own children - which, unlike the public schools - is boundless. Some Americans still have brains in their heads and will act in their own best interest. Others are brainwashed fools who will be unable to form a thought in their minds. So be it. And we'll be far better off when the brains are allowed to kick back in again and the stupid realize they need to recover or fail. You don't think there's a downside to government manipulation and affective 'slavery'? Americans need to make the committed decision to take their liberties back.

How about we have the military just fly over a drop a few bombs and start over???